“Misinformation is something inaccurate. The facts are simply wrong. Usually it’s a mistake and it’s not meant to harm anyone. Misinformation can look like a lot of things. For example, a joke or parody that someone took seriously. Or a piece of information that doesn’t come with the full story or is exaggerated so it can be kind of misleading.
“There’s also something called disinformation. That’s when false information is spread on purpose. This could look like A.I. generated content that’s meant to trick you.”
“Like if someone made a deep fake of a public figure saying something they didn’t. Or imposter content trying to look like real news sources. Or even clickbait. You know, those YouTube videos with the super dramatic titles that make you want to click, but the actual video doesn’t seem to match the title? Things like that.”
Misinformation and disinformation are prevalent on the web and across apps, and because today’s level of connectivity is unparalleled, these stories can spread like wildfire.
What can you do to not be tricked and help stop it? In the CBC Kids News video above, contributor Aubrie Chan draws about how to recognize the headlines and stories in your feeds that might not be totally true or completely fake:
• Verify the source’s credibility and expertise.
• Use fact-checkers to verify the information.
• Seek consensus from multiple trusted sources.
It’s important to know more about the images, videos, or information we see online or on television, even when it comes from an organization that calls itself a news organization. Trustworthy journalists must meet high standards and a code of ethics, using more than one resource for the information they report. Legitimate news sources will also promptly inform their audience of any mistakes and correct them in a transparent way.
This 2021 video from CBC Kids video contributor Saara Chaudry shares more about how to spot fake news:
CBC Kids News shares more about misinformation and other topics, including gaslighting and deep fakes.
• SPJ Code of Ethics from the Society of Professional Journalists.
• Code of Ethics from ProPublica.
• These are the standards of our journalism from NPR.
• Ethics and Standards Policies from the Pulitzer Center.
• Nieman Lab, “a project to try to help figure out where the news is headed in the Internet age.”
Watch these related media literacy videos next:
• Why do people fall for misinformation?
• How to spot AI-generated videos
• How to spot a pyramid scheme
• How to spot a misleading graph
• Three proofs that Earth is round with NASA’s Michelle Thaller
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